Can Sphenoid Sinusitis Headaches Occur Every Day?
“The sphenoid sinus can be affected by an acute bacterial infection, chronic inflammation or a cyst or a polyp,”
says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
“An acute infection can cause severe headaches on the top of the head,” continues Dr. Silvers.
“The location of the sinus is located between an intersecting line from the top of the head down and between the ears.
“Located in the back of the nose. If the infection is bacterial, then the headache will be persistent until the infection is treated.
“Patients with chronic sinus congestion will have fluctuating headache symptoms depending on the barometric pressure, environmental allergens or a mild URI (which cause and increase obstruction swelling around the doors of the sinus and therefore an increase in sinus swelling).
“As we are all exposed to environmental stimuli, it is patients with prior structural narrowing who are at higher risk for sinus symptoms when specific allergens are present.
“Patients are usually asymptomatic from a small polyp or a small cyst in the sphenoid sinus.”
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Stiff Tongue: 10 Possible Causes Including Cancer
Have you noticed that lately, your tongue is rather stiff?
There are a number of possible causes, according to Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat).
List of possible causes of a stiff tongue
Dr. Silvers says, “Many things can affect the tongue: poor oral hygiene, different medications, infection, vitamin deficiencies, Sjogren’s syndrome, yeast infections, acid reflux, smoking and other tobacco use, excessive coffee intake and dehydration.”
Sjogren’s syndrome, which affects mostly women, is an autoimmune disorder characterized primarily by impaired secretion of moisture by the lacrimal glands (tear glands of the eyes) and salivary glands.
The resulting dry mouth can lead to a feeling that your tongue is stiff.
A dry mouth can cause a stiff tongue.
Dr. Silvers continues, “Unless a patient has an issue with the salivary glands in general (Sjogren’s syndrome or a history of radiation to the oral cavity), then one blocked salivary gland by a calcification will not affect oral dryness, as the minor salivary glands play a large role in hydration.
“Diagnostic testing involves reviewing diet and tobacco use.”
A doctor will also want to know about any medications that you began taking at around the time you started noticing that your tongue was getting stiff.
A physician may also want to take blood work to test for an underlying connective tissue disorder, adds Dr. Silvers. “Medications like Salogen (3-4 x per day) can improve oral hydration.”
Cancer
Unfortunately, cancer of the tongue itself can cause it to be rigid, with reduced movements.
This occurs because the cancerous cells invade and disrupt the normal tissue structure, leading to several physical changes in the tongue.
As the tumor grows, it invades the surrounding muscle tissues of the tongue.
This invasion leads to stiffness and rigidity because the malignant cells replace or disrupt the normal muscle tissue.
Plus, the presence alone of the tumor can limit the tongue’s ability to move freely.
This restriction is due to both the physical mass of the tumor and the inflammation or scarring that accompanies the cancer growth.
Are you at risk?
The main risk factors for tongue cancer are smoking, heavy drinking and an HPV infection.
Additiona risk factors are as follows: Chronic irritation from poor oral hygiene, such as persistent inflammation or infection, can increase the risk.
A diet low in fruits and vegetables and high in processed or salty foods can contribute to an increased risk of tongue cancer.
Persistent irritation from ill-fitting dentures or rough teeth may also bump up the risk.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Koldunov Alexey
Can an Irritated Trigeminal Nerve Be Buzzed by Nose Gunk?
Nose gunk or mucus builds up in the sinuses where the trigeminal nerve begins. Can this crusty mucus actually irritate this nerve?
What is the trigeminal nerve?
There are 12 cranial nerves. The trigeminal is one of them: the fifth.
It sends sensations to your face, nasal passages and other head structures. It also supplies movement to the jaw.
Fun Fact: Ever notice that when you feel a sneeze coming on, but it just won’t come – but if you look directly at a bright light above, it brings on the sneeze?
This is because the trigeminal nerve, if irritated, can cause a sneeze – and this complex motor nerve is located close to the optical nerve.
Now that’s something you can bring to the water cooler.
“Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic irritation of the trigeminal nerve,” explains Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
“It is thought to be related to compression of the nerve by a mass, trauma directly to the nerve and/or effects on the blood flow near the nerve,” continues Dr. Silvers.
“The dry mucus in the nose is irritating and can cause nasal pain; this is not trigeminal neuralgia.”
Yucky Gunk in the Nose
This, too, can cause a two or three sneezes in a row.
“Dry mucus can cause nasal crusting and nosebleeds with painful scabs,” says Dr. Silvers.
“Cultures for Staph infections should be done for non-healing nasal dryness and scabbing.
“Changes in climate, altitude and humidity are common causes of dryness and crusting in the nose.
“Treatment for this is over the counter nasal moisturizing ointments or sprays, humidifiers or prescription nasal ointments.”
When spraying, aim the stream at an angle rather than straight up your nose.
This will reduce the amount of trauma to the tiny blood vessels in the nasal passages — and minimize tiny bleeds.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Can Neck Pain Be Triggered by Sinusitis?
Have you been having pain in your neck lately?
Most people will think it’s from a neck source, but what about the sinuses? Is this possible?
“Chronic sinusitis can cause neck pain,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
Dr. Silvers continues, “The direct cause may not be known. There are no sinuses in the back of the head and there is no direct causation of the symptoms.
“However, neck pain can occasionally be a complaint with acute or chronic sinus infections.
“The neck is the support structure for the head. When the head is congested, inflamed and blocked, the neck has more to support, and the way we support our head may differ depending on the degree of discomfort.”
It’s also possible that, due to the sinusitis being, figuratively speaking, a pain in the neck, the patient assumes slumped posture or excessive sleep — both of which can cause tension in the neck muscles.
See if some self-massage won’t help alleviate the discomfort. Maybe a brisk walk for five or 10 minutes will do the trick, if the discomfort is musculoskeletal in origin.
Briskly walking will loosen up these muscles and increase blood flow through them. A warm compress may also help.
Dr. Silvers explains more about neck pain and sinusitis.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Can Sinus Headache Come from Trigeminal Nerve Irritation?
All kinds of things can cause a headache, but what about the trigeminal nerve which is in the nasal passages (sinuses)?
Can this nerve cause a referral type of pain into the head?
“Trigeminal nerve irritation can cause headache,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
Dr. Silvers continues, “Patients with trigeminal neuralgia have classic pain anywhere along the course of the trigeminal nerve. There are branches that go as high as the temple, causing sharp stabbing pains on the sides of the head.”
The discomfort can also feel more like a tension type of headache — the kind that’s caused by a stressful situation.
“Though trigeminal nerve headaches are different from migraine and tension varieties, chronic pain can cause chronic tension and stress which can lead to headache,” says Dr. Silvers.
“Migraines can have a variety of triggers (loud noises, flashing lights, foods and even chronic pain).
“People can have headaches from the trigeminal nerve itself based on its course through the skull, or the resulting tension or migraine headache that the neuralgia (chronic pain) may trigger,” due to the emotional stress of having this condition.
Aggressive cleaning of the nose by putting objects up the nasal passages such as a cotton swab can irritate the trigeminal nerve, which has branches extending into the nasal passageways low enough for a cotton swab or finger to easily reach.
Over time, repeated scooping out of mucus chunks can start irritating the trigeminal nerve, leading to headaches.
The solution is to irrigate the nose with a neti pot; this will soak the hardened mucus so that it can be blown out, or, if it’s still stubborn, at least it can be more gently scooped out.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Can a Nasal Polyp Irritate the Trigeminal Nerve?
Is it possible for a nasal polyp to irritate the trigeminal nerve, being that this nerve extends into the nasal passage?
“Trigeminal neuralgia is chronic irritation or pressure on the trigeminal nerve,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
“It can be caused by compression of the nerve by a mass, trauma directly to the nerve or effects on the blood flow supplying the trigeminal nerve,” continues Dr. Silvers.
“Polyps do not cause pressure and they themselves have no sensation; the mucosa that they are attached to is where the sensation is. Polyps are not known to irritate the trigeminal nerve.”
A nasal polyp is a soft, painless and benign growth that usually occurs in adults, though they can develop in people of all ages. They cannot turn into cancer.
Often, these growths are discovered during a routine exam when a doctor peers up the patient’s nose. Small growths typically do not cause symptoms.
Nasal polyps can cause quite a few symptoms.
-Persistent stuffiness in the absence of a cold
-Runny nose despite no cold or allergy
-Postnasal drip despite no cold or allergy
-Loss of sense of taste
-Diminished or total loss of smell
-Headache or facial pain
-A pressure feeling over the forehead or face
-Pain in the upper teeth
-Itching around the eyes
-Snoring
If you have any of these symptoms and a doctor has not determined causation, then have an otolaryngologist examine you for possible nasal polyps.
Treatment is either with surgery or medication. These benign growths can grow back after being successfully treated.
Regarding the trigeminal, Dr. Silvers adds, “The nerve does have branches in the nose, and rare reports of trigeminal neuralgia have been seen after aggressive and minimally invasive sinus/nasal surgery.”
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Can Nasal Polyps Cause Ear Pain?
Ear pain can be caused by a nasal polyp.
“Nasal polyps can cause nasal congestion and rhinitis with nasal mucous,” says Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology; one of her specialties is sinus surgery.
“They develop usually from an allergic reaction to an environmental irritant,” continues Dr. Silvers.
“They are found commonly when we look with a scope in the nose, and in many patients are not symptomatic and found on routine exam.
“Some patients are very symptomatic and the polyps will affect breathing, sense of smell and block the sinuses.”
If you seem to be having difficulty breathing through your nose, it may very well be a polyp, which can be surgically removed, or, more conservatively treated with medication.
These potentially bothersome growths are non-cancerous, and they cannot turn into cancer. They can return even after disappearing from successful treatment.
“Nasal congestion can commonly cause ear congestion or blockage of the Eustachian tube.”
Dr. Silvers adds that ET congestion causes clogging as well as pressure in the ear, and “sometimes pain in the ear.
“Polyps are not typically seen blocking the Eustachian tube, but the congestion that is associated with polyps that affects the surrounding mucosa can cause these ear symptoms.”
So yes, a nasal polyp can definitely cause ear pain. However, ear pain can have many causes, including having recent aggressive cleaning with a cotton swab as well as a condition called Eagle’s syndrome.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/pathdoc
Why Coughing Every Several Minutes Can Be Caused by Anxiety
You may already know that anxiety can cause frequent coughing, but do you know just how this happens?
Perhaps your coughing is similar to what I experienced during a horrible time of my life.
At some point amid tremendous anxiety, I developed a cough.
I had to cough literally every several minutes due to an itchy, tickly feeing in the back of my throat that I couldn’t ignore.
I’d try to resist coughing, but sooner or later, the urge to clear up that itching and tickling became too strong.
Often, the cough would bring up what appeared to be tiny droplets of saliva.
This went on for several days and I knew it was somehow related to my anxiety. I had no other symptoms that would normally go with a cough.
During the times I was transfixed on my computer with deadline work, I noticed that the cough was suppressed. I also never had it while in bed or during exercise.
One of my stressors was a pending colonoscopy because I was experiencing sudden onset diarrhea and a change in stool caliber that was leaving me dehydrated and thinking colon cancer.
Two days before the colonoscopy, my beloved dog had to be euthanized after we incorrectly thought his brain cancer was retreating.
He had quickly taken a turn for the worse and became deranged three days before the colonoscopy. The stress of everything was unbearable.
The coughing every several minutes accompanied me straight to the colonoscopy procedure room until I lied down.
When the procedure was over, I sat, the doctor told me everything looked normal, the sedatives rapidly wore off, and I realized that the cough was gone. And I mean completely gone. It never returned.
Stacey Silvers, MD
“Your stress, like many others, can cause acid reflux,” begins Dr. Stacey Silvers, MD, of Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in NYC, who is board certified in otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat).
“Stress increases stomach acid; this acid refluxes up into the back of the throat.
“The result is: postnasal drip to coat the throat from the acid, and a swelling around the opening of the esophogus.
“That swelling will tickle the vocal cords and cause a chronic dry cough and throat clearing.
“Ninety percent of all patients presenting with these symptoms have a stressful event or more than one that occurred when the symptoms started.
“Postnasal drip is only a reaction to the reflux and acts as a protector of the throat from the stomach acid which is a pH of 2.
“This mucous and postnasal drip is why people do not have classic burning symptoms.
“The postnasal drip and resulting swelling from the reflux can trigger a cough, however.
“It is not from the sinuses or from sudden onset of allergies. It is very common and very commonly misdiagnosed and mistreated.
“When the stressor goes away (normal medical study, successful move, successful job change or adjustment to the death of a loved one or pet), the symptoms often go away.
“During the symptoms, however, reflux medication will stop the postnasal drip and therefore cough.”
If you find that you’re coughing every several minutes but don’t have accompanying cold or allergy symptoms, ask yourself if you’ve been under an acute attack of severe anxiety.
An NYC expert in ear, nose and throat care, Dr. Silvers has been named among America’s Top Physicians and Surgeons in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology numerous times since 2003. Dr. Silvers is an expert in the field of minimally invasive rhinology, resolving patients’ breathing and sinus problems with simple in-office procedures.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Aaron Amat
Can Constant Stress & Anxiety Make You Lose Weight?
You’ve heard that stress can interfere with weight loss efforts, but can a lot of anxiety cause fat loss even if you don’t eat less?
It’s a no-brainer that weight loss will occur from eating less due to suppressed appetite from stress.
“Nobody lives life completely devoid of stress; however, there are times in all of our lives when stress and the associated anxiety that can accompany a significantly greater stressful situation than usual, can be more taxing than we even realize,” says Richard Kelley, MD, a practicing physician in Texas for 20+ years, and author of “The Fitness Response,” “The Three-Hour Appetite” and the ebook, “The Fitness Response ‘Diet’ for Women.”
He continues, “Prolonged stress and anxiety can take a significant toll on one’s health, inducing weight loss, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems and general irritability.”
“Weight loss as a result of increased stress and anxiety may occur for a variety of reasons.
“When we are chronically stressed and anxious, whether we realize it or not, nutrition may suffer due to skipping meals.
“For individuals caring for an ill family member for extended periods of time, either at home or in the hospital, one’s sense of time can be altered, resulting in skipped meals or prolonged periods between nutrition.
“It is not unusual for a family member in the chronic caretaker role, to feel they are eating adequately and even have an increased sense of hunger when they do eat, simply because their schedule, secondary to their caretaking role, is more erratic.”
I had unexplained weight loss while caring for my mother following her quintuple bypass surgery.
However, I was acutely aware of my eating habits simply because I’m a health-conscious person, always striving to increase my muscle mass.
When I began noticing the weight loss, I began tracking caloric intake, even though I knew I was eating more than usual (e.g., many thick personal pizzas at the hospital; my mother had four more hospital admissions after the initial one).
There were three or four days at the beginning where I didn’t eat much, but the rest of the days I ate generously, including a rich homemade chocolate milkshake every day, but lost fat rather quickly.
“Individuals who maintain a fitness-oriented lifestyle and regularly stimulate and activate their skeletal muscle, may find that they lose weight (body fat) over months in a stressful situation, eating even more calories than usual, simply because their focus has been on maintaining their skeletal muscle through their regular routine of resistance training, prior to the period of prolonged stress,” says Dr. Kelley.
“Many people disregard the power and impact of a well maintained musculoskeletal system, but muscle plays a significant role in helping people burn calories, often in the presence of increased caloric intake.”
But why the sudden fat loss in my case?
After all, my body already had the muscle development.
“Prolonged anxiety, in and of itself, may result in a tendency to lose weight,” says Dr. Kelley.
“Anxiety may enhance adrenal activity, producing higher levels of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which increase heart rate and blood pressure.
“This would also represent an elevation in metabolic rate, which over time, could result in the loss of weight.
“Elevated cortisol levels have traditionally been viewed as increasing one’s tendency to store abdominal fat.
“Its role, if any, in the weight loss process, as a result of prolonged stress, is not well-understood.
“Though the argument could be made that prolonged stress and anxiety result in a more consistent elevation of adrenaline than cortisol, over time, or that the impact of the fight or flight hormones simply exert more visible impact (weight loss) over the course of time, than that of cortisol.”
Dr. Kelley also points out (though this didn’t apply to my case) that stressed caregivers sometimes subsist largely on coffee, soda and cigarettes to stay alert, and these substances elevate adrenaline and suppress appetite.
“Ultimately, I believe prolonged stress and anxiety may have a tendency to skew our view concerning the accuracy of our nutrition recall.
“In my own weight management practice, I can say with certainty that most individuals have very poor recall of exactly what and how they have eaten, over the course of several days, a week or a month, if they don’t journal their food intake.
“We are even less likely to fully appreciate how well we are doing, nutritionally, when we are in a state of chronic, prolonged stress.”
In conclusion, a sudden bout of extreme stress can cause weight loss even if you don’t eat less; even if you eat more; and especially if you already have a trained body.
Richard Kelley, MD, is an author, speaker, fitness expert and transformation coach.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Nighttime Binge Eating, Feeling Hot Overnight & Next Morning
Ever eat a lot of food at night, then get really hot in the middle of the night or next morning?
More than once I’ve had the experience of eating quite a bit of food at night, only to awaken in the middle of the night feeling overheated, or, if not, then awakening the following morning hot — despite a normal room temperature.
These were not hot flashes; just a hot feeling. Intuitively I knew it was because all that extra food made my body work extra hard to digest it — work generates heat.
“Though not a complaint by everyone, the answer to why some individuals experience an increased sensation of heat, after an evening food binge, can be explained, at least to some degree, by the fact that the processing, breakdown and utilization of food, is an energy expending process of the body,” explains Richard Kelley, MD, a practicing physician in Texas for 20+ years, and author of “The Fitness Response,” “The Three-Hour Appetite” and the ebook, “The Fitness Response ‘Diet’ for Women.”
Dr. Kelley continues, “In fact, it is estimated that the processing, breakdown and utilization of ingested food, accounts for approximately 10 percent of the body’s daily energy expenditure.
“This is actually a calorie burning process of the body and can also result in thermogenesis or the generation of heat, by the body.
“The reason that some individuals report more awareness of this phenomenon, while other individuals are less aware of the increase in heat, is not entirely clear.”
Eating a lot causes the body to burn more calories = more heat generated.
If you binge at night, a feeling of heat will be more noticeable because the thermogenesis occurs while you’re lying in bed.
If the generation of heat occurs mid-day, after a morning binge, you’re less likely to be aware of feeling hot, since you’re already active; or, you may feel hot but think nothing of it if you’re concurrently moving about busily.
Dr. Kelley continues, “For an individual who engages in a true binge or excessive caloric intake at one sitting, the body is literally going into overdrive, metabolically speaking, to break down and store the excess of calories.
“That some individuals are sensitive to the fact that metabolism, along with thermogenesis, is increasing as a result of the binge, is not surprising, given that we know the body literally has to get to work anytime we put food into the stomach, and this is certainly the case when we overfeed ourselves.”
Next time you binge at night and then several hours later feel hot, you now know why.
